Air purifying and circulating device



June 2, 1953 G. s. DAUPHINEE 2,640,558

AIR PURIFYING AND CIRCULATING DEVICE Filed July 25, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheetl l 0 l\ 3 N d M m 31 ix I! l' I I (i1 7-:1' t3 d 5 0000 O ogo o! Noooooo 00000 O O a n a 00 8 T W G g I a 6 d 3 5, & g; I "II C I; N

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INVENTOR.

GEORGE S DAUPH! NEE ATTORNEY June 2, 1953 G. s. DAUPHINEE AIR PURIFYINGAND CIRCULATING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 23, 1949 V INVENTOR.eeomea s. DAuPHmEE ATTOQNE-Y Patented June 2, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE AIR PURIFYING AND CIRCULATING DEVICE George S. Dauphinee,Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to W. B. Connor Engineering Corp., New York,N. Y., a corporation of New York Application July 23,1949, Serial No.106,472

(Cl. ice-4.8)

7 Claims. 1

ference of odors and flavors will normally occur unless particular careis exerted to provide airtight packaging and segregation of thepotentially ofiensive food articles. Such segregation and packaging istroublesome, time-consuming and expensive. Furthermore, recent researchindicates that when the air within such refrigerated cabinets ismaintained at a low concentration with respect to deleterious adulterantgases, the storage life of the food-products is greatly prolonged andodor or flavor transference is not perceptible even without segregationof the food products or special packaging.

Accordingly, it is a primary object of the invention to provide a devicefor effectively adsorbing odors and circulating air in a refrigeratedenclosure of the type indicated.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an air purifying andcirculating device which is designed and constructed in such a manner asnot to require an enclosing housing or cabinet and which may befabricated as an extremely simple and compact unit at low cost.

An additional object of the invention is the provision of a device ofthe character indicated which provides not only for air circulationthrough an adsorbent medium, such as activated carbon, but whichincludes novel means for adjusting the air discharge direction.

A further object of the invention is the provision ofa device of thecharacter indicated having improved means for varying the quantity orvolume of air circulated therethrough and which is further characterizedby a simple means of installation within the storage space or cabinet.

The foregoing objects as well as additional objects and advantages ofthe invention will be readily understood in the course of the followingdetailed descriptiontaken in connection with the accompanying drawings,which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention, and wherein:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view, partly in section, of an air purifyingand. circulating device embodying the features of the invention; I

Fig. 2 is a top plan view partly broken away to illustrate the manner ofmounting the carbon canisters on the device;

2 Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the device taken on the discharge orblower side, or on the left of Fig. 2; and

. Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the intake side of the device with oneof the canisters removed, as seen on the right of Fig. 2.

. Referring now to the drawings in greater detail, the device includes ablower assembly generally designated by reference numeral H] which isadjustable for varying the direction of air discharge, as will be morefully described hereinbelow. Blower assembly I is operatively associatedwith an air purification unit II which may conveniently take the form ofdouble-walled perforate canisters I2 containing suitable adsorbentmaterial, such as granular activated carbon l3.

A motor I4 is mounted in any suitable manner on blower housing l5 forpowering the blower fan IS in order to discharge purified air throughthe blower outlet duct H. An important feature of the invention residesin mounting blower housing I5 on base plate [8 in such a manner as tovary the direction of air discharge therefrom. For this purpose blowerhousing I5 is provided with a dished ring l9 secured thereto in anypreferred manner as by means of welding. Ring 19 thus provides acircular track or channel for base plate l8 which is provided with asuitably dimensioned central aperture defining an air inlet 20 to theblower housing l5. By reason of the described arrangement blowerassembly l0 may-be rotated to discharge air in any desired direction, asclearly shown in Fig. 3 in broken outline, and the blower housing l5will be retained in any adjusted position by means of frictionalengagement between dished ring l9 and base plate I8 or, if desired,additional retaining means may be employed. The marginal edges of baseplate It are bent inwardly as shown at 2| to provide the desiredstiffness and rigidity for said plate. i

I The air purification unit 11- including the carbon canisters l2 issecured to base plate ill by means of a manifold box or pan 22 which maybe secured to said base plate by means of connecting bolts 23. Manifoldbox 22 is provided with mounting apertures 24 for the reception of theends of carbon canisters [2 thus the base plate l8 together with themanifold box 22 form a plenum chamber wherein the air drawn througherably extending diametrically with respect to the air inlet 28, asshown clearly in Fig. 4, said suitable mounting holes 28 of suspensionbar 25 and extend substantially axially of the canisters l2 to projectslightly outwardly of the outer end caps [2b. A cover plate 29 ismounted on retainer rod 2? abutting outer end cap I2'b of canister l2and wing-nut 38 is clamped against cover plate 29 on the threaded outerend of each retainer rod. Cover plate 29 is preferably provided with aninwardly turned flange 29awhich extends over the projecting rim ofcanister end cap, 12b in order to prevent distortion when clampingpressure is applied by wing nut 34!. As shown in Fig. 2, the hooked end21a of each retainer rod is formed in such a manner as to prevent easyremoval of said rod when it is desired'to remove and renew the canisters12.

Thus when blower fan [6 is in operation, odorladen air is drawn from theatmosphere surrounding the canisters l2, first passing through theperforated "outer wall 3|, then through the activated carbon l3 or otheradsorbent material and then through the inner wall 32 of each of saidcanisters, whereupon the objectionable odoriferous adulterants areremoved and the purified air passes into the manifold box 22. Thepurified air then passes into the blower housing 55 through the airinlet opening 2e delined in base plate I8 to be finally discharged fromthe device in a directed stream through blower outlet duct I? under theinfluence of blower fan it.

In addition to the described means for adjusting the air dischargedirection, the device is provided with damper means for varying thevolume of air circulated therethrough so that a single standard sizeunit may serve effectively for a large number of differently sizedrefrigerated cabinets. 33 is pivotally mounted on the inside of baseplate ill at 34 for throttling the air inlet 29 to blower housing i 5.The damper travel is controlled by means of an externally accessiblescrew 35 fixed to damper plate 33 and extending through an arcuate guideslot St in base plate I8. A clamping nut 3'! operated to lock the damperplate 33in any desired adjusted position.

By adjusting the damper plate to positions intermediate the openposition of Fig. 3 (in dotted outline) and the maximum throttledposition of Fig. 4 (in dot-dash outline) the device may be readilyadjusted to the desired discharge volume of purified air.

The device may be easily mounted atany convenient space on the wall orceiling of the refrigerated cabinet by means of slotted hanger lugs 38which may be spot welded to the top and bottom of manifold box 22. Thusonly two screws or other fastening elements are required and by backingoff the screws a couple of turns, the device may be easily removed forinspection, adjustment or removal of the canisters I2.

The design and construction of the present invention makes possible adevice characterized by extreme simplicity, compactness and adaptabilityto varying requirements. The employment of an enclosing jacket orcabinet is eliminated For this purpose a damper plate and theincorporation of novel adjustable features for varying the direction ofair discharge and volume of air circulated through the device makes itpossible to fabricate a low-cost unit which will serve effectively forrefrigerated cabinets of varying size. The efiiciency of the device isattested to empirically by the fact that a satisfactory degree of puritywas maintained when air was circulated through cocoanut shellactivatedcarbon at a rate of one air turnover in ten to fifteen minutes.

Since certain modifications may be made in the device of the presentinvention without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended thatallv matter contained in the foregoing description and shown in theaccompanying drawings, be interpreted merely as illustrative and not ina limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. In an air purifying and circulating device, a base element having anattached manifold member, a blower housing rotatablymounted on one sideof said base element for varying the direction of air dischargetherefrom, removable air-permeable odor adsorbent members mounted on theopposite side of said base element against the manifold member, saidmembers comprising double-walled perforate canisters, 'a suspensionelement secured to said manifold member for re; taining said adsorbentmembers, hookbolts carried by said suspension element and adapted tosupport said canisters in substantially axial position, each of saidcanisters having a cover plate insertable over the free outer end of arespective hookbolt, and a clamping memberengageable on each of saidhookbolts and against a respective cover plate, said base elementdefining an inlet opening into said blower housing for conveyingpurified air thereinto from said odor-adsorbent members, said baseelement having adjustably pivoted damper means for controlling the airflow from the blower housing and after the air has passed through thecanisters.

2. In an air purifying and circulating device,

. a base element, a blower housing rotatably let opening into saidhousing, said housing having a dished ring frictionally engaged aboutthe aperture of said base element, a manifold element secured to saidbase element, a plurality of air-permeable, odor-adsorbent membersremovably associated with said manifold element, said members comprisingdouble-walledperforate canisters, a suspension element secured to saidmanifold element for retaining said adsorbent members, hookbolts carriedby said suspension element and adapted to support said canisters insubstantially axial position, each of said canisters having a coverplate insertable over the free outer end of a respective hookbolt, and aclamping member engageable on each of said hookbolts and against arespective cover plate."

3. In an air purifying and circulating device, a base element, a blowerhousing rotatably mounted with respect to said base element, said baseelement having an aperture defining an inlet opening into said housing,said housing having a dished ring frictionally engaged about to saidmanifold element for retaining said adsorbent members, hookbolts carriedby said suspension element and adapted to support said canisters insubstantially axial position, each of said canisters having a coverplate insertable over the free outer end of a respective hookbolt, and aclamping member engageable on each of said hookbolts and against arespective cover plate, said base element having adjustably pivoteddamper means accessible externally thereof for throttling the inletopening into said blower housing.

4. In an air purifying and circulating device, a base element forming aplenum chamber, a blower housing rotatably mounted on one side of saidbase element for varying the direction of air discharge therefrom, saidblower housing having an air-discharge outlet, air-permeableodoradsorbent means mounted on the opposite side of said base element,said base element defining an inlet opening into said blower housing forconveying purified air into said plenum chamber from said odor-adsorbentmeans, and a powerdriven fan mounted inside said blower housing fordrawing odor-laden air through said odoradsorbent means and through saidplenum chamber and discharging purified air from the outlet of saidhousing, and throttling means located between the odor-adsorbent meansand the air-discharge outlet for regulating the amount of air drawnthrough said odor-adsorbent means.

5. In an air purifying and circulating device, a base element forming aplenum chamber, a blower housing rotatably mounted on one side of saidbase element for varying the-direction of air discharge therefrom, saidblower housing having an air-discharge outlet, air-permeableodor-adsorbent members mounted on the opposite side of said baseelement, said members comprising double-walled perforate canistersclosed at their outer ends, said base element defining an inlet openinginto said blower housing for conveying purified air into said plenumchamber from said odor-adsorbent members, a power-driven fan mountedinside said blower housing for drawing odor-laden air through saidodor-adsorbent members and through said plenum chamber and dischargingpurified air from said housing, and throttling means located between theodor-adsorbent members and the airdischarge outlet for regulating theamount of air drawn through said odor-adsorbent means.

6. In an air purifying and circulating device a base element, a manifoldelement secured thereto, a blower housing rotatively mounted withrespect to the base element, said base element having an aperturedefining an inlet opening into said housing, said housing having adished ring extending over and frictionally engaging the marginal edgeof the base element around said aperture to thereby securely but ad-.iustably attach the housing to said base member, the manifold elementconsisting of a boxlike enclosure having one wall formed by the basemember and having a second wall spaced from said base member andprovided with canister-receiving openings, odor-adsorbent members in theform of double-walled perforate canisters mounted on the second wall ofthe manifold member and seated in the openings therein, a suspensionelement extending across the manifold element between the walls thereoffor retaining said canisters, means for attaching the canisters to themanifold member and supporting said canisters in substantially axialposition, each of the canisters having a cover plate on its free outerend held in position by a hook-bolt.

'7. In an air purifying and circulating device, a base element forming aplenum chamber, a blower housing mounted on one side of said baseelement for varying the direction of air discharge therefrom, aplurality of air-permeable odoradsorbent elements mounted on theopposite side of said base element, each of said odor-adsorbent elementsconsisting of a double-walled cylinder having an outer foraminous walland a spaced inner foraminous wall with odor-adsorbent material arrangedin the spacing between the said inner and outer walls, said spacebetween the walls being closed at each end of the cylinder, thecylinders being arranged in spaced relation and being exposed to roomair, the base element having apertures in one of its walls against whichone end of each cylinder is arranged to thereby establish communicationbetween the interior of each of the cylinders and the plenum chamber,

said base element defining an inlet opening into said blower housing forconveying purified air which has passed through the Wallsof thecylinders into said plenum chamber, a power-driven fan mounted inside ofthe blower housing for drawing odor-laden air through saidodor-adsorbent means and through the plenum chamber and dischargingpurified air from the housing, and means at the outer ends of thecylinders for closing said ends of the cylinders.

GEORGE S. DAUPHINEE.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 860,465 Hancock et a1 July 16, 1907 1,714,854 Dollinger May28, 1929 1,865,538 Horquist July 5, 1932 2,265,317 Schlirf Dec. 9, 19412,303,333 Dauphinee Dec. 1, 1942 2,420,707 Hinger May 20, 1947 2,440,487Rayburn Apr. 27, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 227,343 GreatBritain Jan. 15, 1925

